THE KELBURN RAID

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 195, 7 May 1918, Page 7

THE KELBURN RAID

| PROCEEDINGS IN COURT • THE CASE FOR THE PROSE- ; CUTION ) 1 The circumstances connected with the ', police raid on No. '18 Upland Bond on the evening of Saturday, April 27, were ventilated in the Magistrate's Court yos- ' terday, before .Mr. S. E. M'Carthy, S.M., when all the accused women concerned appeared on remand. Mrs. Mary Griliin, tor whom Mr. P. W. Jackson appeared, was charged with keeping a house of illfame at the promises in question, and Marion Elliott, Alma Elliott, Eileen '. Pringle, and Winifred Olsen, all single women, wero rharged with assisting in the management of tho alieged. house or ill-fame. Mr. C. B. Morison. K.C., ap- ! pearcd for Pringle, Mr. M. Myers for the two Elliotts, and Mr. H. i\ O'Leary for Olsen. Mr. Cyril Tanner watched tlio case of Mrs. Griffin, on behalf of her parents. Tho charges were laid under the War Regulations. Inspector Marsack prosecuted in all the cases. The Court was crowded to (he doors, and ivithin the ! arners were a number of women spectators. In commenting on tho large attomlmico tho Magistrate remarked that the rase was one with very many unsavoury-details, and it was not advisable that it should be heard in open Court. This restriction would not apply to friends of any of tho accused, or to any members of any society having a general interest'in women. The others would have to go. Tho Court was then cleared, with the exception of those persons privileged to remain, of whom there were between thirty and forty, many of them representing the Society for the Protection of Women -and Children. At tho ';utset application was made by Mr. Morison that the police produce as witnesses all lhose found in tho house, but against whom no charge had been laid. The application' was supported by Mr. Jackson and Mr. Myers. Mr. Myeis pointed out that on the occasion of the raid there wero a number of persons in the house who were not arrested. The police, after investigation, had chosen to prosecute only a certain number of those found in tlie house. It must therefore be taken that tho police had assumed that these persons were guilty of no offence. It was the duly of the police in cuniinon fairness to call upon all persons concerned to be in attendance at the Court for 'the purpose of giving cvidence. Some of iliose people wire respoeti able persons, who, if called upon, could I testify to the house- being respectable. J If these witnesses were in attendance at ■ the Court tho defence at least could call ! upon them. ■ I Mr. Morison followed by pointing out ! that the Crown's object should ;-ot be i to get a conviction, but to iave an investigation of the truth, and all evidence available should be produced, whether for or against the accusad. Inspector Marsaek said that the police might possibly have io lay inlormalions I against some of tho persons referred to if it was disclosed, that they wore parties to tho commission of tho offence, and if that wero tho case such witnesses could I not be called upon to givo evidonce cowi milting themselves. | In intimating that he was not going to interfere with the action, of the police,' His Worship commented that it was not for him to say what evidence they should or should not call. Mr. Morison: I have a list of at least eighteen witnesses, and I havo not subpoenaed them this morning because many , of them havo important businesses to , attend to. I After further discussion Inspector Mar- ; sack undertook to have on hand as many - as ' possible of tho persons referred to ] by thej afternoon, lie was prepared to i supply all the names and addresses hn i had. I On the application of counsel, all witnesscs wero ordered out' of Court. Before proceeding with tho case, In. , spector Marsack reminded His Worship j that the evidonco comprised many un. savoury details, and that there wero a number of women present. His Worship: These ladies, I under- ! stand, represent organisations which havo 1 to do with the protection of women and ' children. I take it that they arc- not hero for tho satisfaction of listening to ' theso details, but in the interests of ' women and children. ! THE CASE FOE TIIE PROSECUTION. ' In outlining the case Inspector Mar- j sack said that the house first came under s the notice of the police several months | ago. During the past six weeks it had been under observation fairly consistent- , ly. It would bo shown that during the ( course of these observations actual acts , of immorality on the part of some of ' the female occupants wero noticed. Men had been coming to and going from tho house at night. The house was let to Mrs. . Griffin at Xi a week. .Mrs. Griffin, and . Miss Olsjn wero living in the house the ■ whole of the time. Tho other threo accused had spent a number of nights in the hotlse, but did not stay there over- . night. They had been there when acts of immorality had taken place. Miss j I Pringlo- was never seen at the house , ■ except on the night of the r.-ud. After j tho raid tho sergeant was about to let j her go, when ono of tho other women j said: "She is just tho same as the rest j Of us." Miss Pringlo then said: \es, ( ( 1 have bceu there several times, there : were two other women and some- men , found in tho house, but these were let go j free on their explaining that this was 1 thq first time they had been there. i. Tho first witness, George W. Davidson, ; indent agent, residing uf 4G Uplana KoaU, I said ho knew the house next door, which j was in the occupation ot Mrs. Griffin. , There wero two children there, the , only other occupants he knew were Miss i ; Olsen and another woman, whom he iden- ; tilled as Marion Elliott. Mrs. Grihjn j had had the house since January. \\ it- j ncss had seen people going into Hie house | at all hours of the day and nigiit. Hie ! visitors'were mostly military officers, and ; some civilians. Taxi-cabs were irequent- j ly drawn up outside the place. Jt was ;. not always tho same persons who cal.eU at tho place. If? had been troubled on one occasion by a parson calliag i:t his place and asking if "This was number 48." From his house witness had cßeii i heard loud laughter going on ir -No. 48. . On two occasions he had been wakoiuil . up by taxis leaving No. 4-3 at l' alt -P. ast two in the morning. On the Thursday j uftoruoou before Good Friday he saw tho i dustman take a chaff-bag full up of ~ empty bottles away from No 48. On ; the following Thursday he h«is another half-bag away from the house. By Mr. Mvcra: Generally, two or threo nights a week there was music at tho house, when as far as ho knew there were a inuubor of persons at the house. Dancing went on to tho tune ot a jihonograpli. This was continued up to about midnight. There were two children in tho house, one a hoy of about twelve years and tho other a girl about two years vounger. , By Mr. O'Leary: He could not say whether certain persons stayed all night at I N'o. 48. Ho only saw them leaving about 10 o'clock or half-past ten in the morning. '■ By Mr. Jacksou: His house was within about ten foot uf the one occupied by ' Mrs. Griliin.

Pliun-elothcs Constable Willhm Tricklebunk said thai on miliary 16 last, in consequence of a complaint received on January 10, ho took up watch on Mrs. Griffin's house ur night. Witness described in detail and at gieat length what, ho saw at tho house; of the frequent visits of soldiers and officers from vessels in port, with occasional civilians. Ho had witnessed acts of immorality in the. house on a number of occasions, in which tho woman Griffin and the girls Olson and Marion Elliott figured. He and another constable had been able at times to iv<: what was going on within tho house. Other vomen had gone to tho li-.usc with men; amongst thofc women he could identify Mi-s Prmele and Mist Alma Elliott. At times lliero was dunking in tho aouse, and a good deal of noise. Coming to tho night of the raid the witness said that, accompanied by Sergeant Wade and several constables, ho proceeded to Mrs. Griffin's house at 8 p.m. Tho party watched the House for about an hour, and ten minutes before executing tho warrant, witness saw two ships' officers, thrco military

officers, and five-women go into the house. Tho women were tho two-Miss Elliotts, Miss Olsen, Miss Pringlo, a Miss Pascoe, and a Mrs. Head. Tho names oi the naval officers ho afterwards ascertained were Mitchell Campbell and Harry Younger, off an overseas liner, now not in these waters. Tho military officers were Second Lieutenant Il.nlbert, Second Lieutenant Miluer, and Private Gunman. Lieutenants Morrison, Carnaharii, and Douglas arrived at the house after tho raid. Before the raid two women, Misses Olsen and Pringlo, came out of tho house and used the public telephone, which was outside the property. A third woman came out of tho house- and walked along towards tho ftolburn tram, and did not return. 'Witness did not know her name. Another woman came out of tho house and stood outside tho telephone box. Olsen and Pringle and their companion returned to tho houso. Shortly afterwards, at 9.10 p.m., the houso was entered by the police from three entranc-s —the front and sido doors and tho back' door. Witness was ono of those at the front door. Sergeant Wado pressed the bell, and Miss' Olsen answered tho door. Sergeant Wado told her that he had a warrant, wheroupon sha screamed out that she was ■ not the owner of the house, aud ran passage shouting out "Molly" (Mrs. Griftin's name). Witness and Wado followed her. Mr. Griffin came out. One ship's officer was in tho kitchen. All the others were in the diningroom. Sergeant Wade read the warrant over to Mrs. Griffin, and look nil the names of those in the houße. Those taken to tho police station wore:—Private and Mrs. Gunman. Mrs. Head, Miss Pnscoe, Mrs. Griffin, Miss Olsen, tho two Elliott sisters, Miss Pringle, and the two children, lh the course of his watch on tho houso witness had never beforo seen Private and Mrs. Gunman or Mrs. Head on the premises. Cross-Examination, By Mr. Myers: On no occasion was ho at tho house beforo 7 p.m. or after 11.30 p.m. He and his assistant had a place under Mr. Davidson's house where they would retire once or twico during tho evening and writo notes of what they saw. Ho decided that the house was a brothol tho second night ho visited there. From what ho saw he decided that any woman going there could not bo much good. Ho inferred Marion Elliott was a prostitute. He had no hesitation in 6aying so.. It was true. There could bo no mistake about that. ] Mr. Myers: If wo find that this is not, true we can say, I suppose, that some ; of your other evidence is nolMrue?— 1 j am not in the habit of lying." You pledgo your oath that no mistakes , of identity wero mado by you and your - associates iu connection with thn matter?—" Yes," Ho knew that Private nnd Mrs. Gunman wero thoroughly decent people. He knew them. People used to go into Miss Olsen's room quite brazenly while tho children wero about the house. It was a curious thing to happen—reckless. Miss Alma Elliott and Miss Pringlo were, as far as he knew, respectablo girls. He saw a man named Gillespie at tho place only once, and ho did not know at tho time that it was he. By Mr. O'Leary: Miss Olson had been employed as a typist for a number of years until a few wcoks ago, By Mr. Jackson: He was positive that he' had received no word from outside Wellington to .watch tho house. He did not know Mrs. Griffin's husband. Ho understood ho was away at the war. lift had heard since the raid that Mrs. Griffin had divorced her husband. He did not know that at tho time of the raid and for sii months prior to that Mrs. Griffin was under the doctor's care and in bed for most of tho time. Ho denied having ever stated that ho would move heaven and earth to get these womeu convicted. On tho sight of the raid two partly-cousumed bottles of whisky v-.'ero found, and part of a bottle ot schnapps. On the alight of the raid nothing immoral took place at the house. By Mr. Moiition: In all he paid twenty visits to Mrs. Griffin's houso. He was awaro that Miss Pringlo was a bchool teacher. To luspeclor Maiwk: The first complaint ho received about Mrs. Griffin's place was from Christio's house, opposite. Evidence was next given by Constable Henry James Cattanack, who watched No. 43 Upland Road along with Constable Tricklebank. His eyidonce, which was in corroboration of that of the preceding witness, was unfinished when the Court rose at 5 p.m. Tho case' will ho continued at 10.30 a.m. to-day.